Adrenaline
by Angel of the Starz
Summary: Throwing caution to the wind is an idiom for some, but for Korra, it's a way of life. At least until the end of the summer…
1. I

**Adrenaline**

* * *

**Summary: **Throwing caution to the wind is an idiom for some, but for Korra, it's a way of life. At least until the end of the summer…

* * *

**I**

**Trigger warning: car accident**

Opening her eyes, her vision setting in, Korra instantly realized that something wasn't right.

She grunted, carefully pulling her cheek away from the steering wheel. Her eyes settled on the car opposite her on the road, shining brightly underneath her vehicle's headlights. Smoke poured out from underneath the hood of the other car, the engine sputtering to a stop. The smell of burnt rubber and smoke filled her nose.

Korra's hands shook violently as she reached down and wiped at her forehead. She rapidly blinked her right eye as something dark and sticky seeped into it. Eventually, she just settled for closing it shut, and let her arm drop. It fell upwards until her hand hit the roof of her car, heavier than normal.

She winced as her head pounded to the beat of the flashing red and blue lights. Bile stung the back of her throat as she gained an awareness of her surroundings. The blue fuzzy dice that normally hung from her rearview mirror was scattered on the road way next to her, sharing the space with broken glass, littered everywhere. Under the dark night and flashing lights, they resembled the night sky, a million stars burning brightly.

Korra groaned as she turned her head, pain immediate running through the tight muscles. All the windows were busted open, dog treats scattered everywhere, and protein powder provided a light coating to all surfaces.

Slowly pulling her arms down, Korra unbuckled her seatbelt. She let out a cry of surprise as she slipped to the roof of her car. Glass ripped into her shoulder and upper arm, the shards nestling themselves into her soft, warm flesh. She carefully pushed herself onto her side, and gripped the frame of her window, before pulling herself out onto the asphalt.

Korra cried out in pain as rough, black tar and glass tore at her shirt and the tight skin sucked against her abdominal muscles. A breeze lightly kissed at her cheeks and nose, as she greedily gulped mouthful after mouthful of clean air. In a moment's time, she was grabbed by the upper arms and pulled all the way out of her car.

"Are you okay, ma'am?" a voice barked. Korra let herself relax as she was lifted onto a soft bed. She winced as her eyelids were pulled open, a flashlight illuminating her florescent blue irises. She reached up and swatted the hand away, or at least attempted to. Her motions were slow, and sloppy, as the pain continued to rage across her head. Her feet began to feel soft and fuzzy.

"What day is it?" another voice asked. She felt her legs and feet being strapped down to the bed.

"Saturday, July 5th," Korra whispered.

"Who's the president?"

"That son of a bitch, Raiko," she answered. Someone near her let out a bark of laughter. She tried to laugh along with them, but the closest she could get was her lips slowly forming into a smile, before an oxygen mask was placed over her face.

"Her vitals are steady. There is one mild cut to her forehead; the blood is just making it seems worse than it is."

"Some bruising is starting to form, and she has some glass embedded in her arm, flank, and abdomen. Otherwise, she'll be okay," a gravelly voice declared. Korra grunted as the emeregency bed she was strapped to came to a stop while being lifted. She kept her eyes trained to the sky, staring at the bright full moon. "She's lucky."

"Not like the other kid," a voice commented.

"What other kid?" Korra asked. She wasn't sure if she was heard or not, since no one had answered her question. A moment later, she heard a muffled noise. Soon, that noise became a shout, growing louder and louder as she neared the ambulance, and the scene of another car.

Many adults were standing around in a huddle, letting out sorrowful wails into the night. Some were carrying flowers, others teddy bears, and one lone child was carrying a blanket. They had it wrapped around their shoulders but clutched tightly in their hands. A corner of the pink and purple fabric disappeared between their lips.

Korra struggled to sit up but was pushed back down against the bedding. She rocked back and forth with the movements of hitting rocks and cracks in the ground. As she came to a stop at the doors of the ambulance, Korra ripped off one of the fasteners and at up straight. Her body screamed in resistance, but she felt firm. She tightened her core muscles, forcing those tending her to really push at her shoulders and arms to attempt to have her lie back down.

Korra watched was Lin Beifong moved a sheet over a small figure. Lin took great care, wrapping it up tightly, folding and tucking as she went. Korra couldn't help but start to laugh at the absurdity of the city police chief's actions, as if she were switching out sheets on her bed. Lin picked up the bundle and got to her feet. The crowd parted to make room.

All sound stopped.

Korra spotted a foot slip out the bundle. Then a pale leg was exposed to the hazy summer night's elements. Korra instantly relaxed, allowing the paramedics to push her back onto the bed. She dropped her arms, feeling them float gently to the cushions beneath her.

Korra felt a warmth creeping into her toes, flowing up her legs, and washing over her abdomen, chasing the pain away. Korra leaned back, staring up at the sky. The minute her head touched the pillow, the warmth made its way up her neck. The north start shined brightly from above.

And through it all, only one thought came to mind:

_What a rush!_


	2. II

**Adrenaline**

* * *

**Summary: **Throwing caution to the wind is an idiom for some, but for Korra, it's a way of life. At least until the end of the summer…

* * *

**II**

**Trigger warning: drowning and suicide attempt**

"Let's make it go faster," Korra shouted above the high winds. Her eyes were tearing up and her hands began to cramp as she held onto the straps by her hips. She grunted as the raft bounced over the high waves the boat was churning across the ocean. She hissed in pain as she went or a large bump, causing one of her ankles to slam into the other. Nevertheless, a smile was plastered on her face. "What do you say?" Korra asked, turning to her right. She let out a belly laugh at the look of horror on Bolin's face, and a look of discomfort on Mako's.

"No way!" Bolin shouted.

"I think we're going fast enough," Mako added. He let out a light groan as the water raft moved to the right. His muscles strained as he fought to keep himself in place. "Why rock the boat?"

"Because it's _fun_!" Korra said. She held her hand up and raised a thumb into the air.

Opal, who was in the passenger seat of the boat holding a small red flag, noticed Korra's thumb in the air. She leaned over and tapped Asami Sato on the shoulder. "Thumbs up! They want to go faster," Opal said. Asami glance up at the rear-view mirror of the boat, before nodding once, an pushing the throttle to it's highest capacity.

"Hang on," Asami instructed as Opal slipped in her sat. Opal placed the flag in between her knees as she hastily buckled herself up, her life jacket causing difficulties with her movements. When she was finally able to fasten the seat belt, she grabbed the flag, and turned sideways in her seat.

"You're not going to buckle yourself in?" Opal asked, watching as Asami's dark hair flowed in the wind behind her. Asami seemed unfazed as a few strands blew in and out of her face.

"This is nothing," Asami answered with a smile. "Just keep an eye on them."

Opal nodded, turning her attention back to her three friends on the raft. She could not help but wince and make sounds of discomfort as she spotted how high they were bouncing along the surface of the water. She hiccuped before groaning, holding her stomach. "I don't suppose you could slow down a bit," she whimpered.

Asami shook her head. "Not unless they say so, or someone falls off," she said, turning the wheel of the boat. She reached out and steadied Opal by placing a hand on her shoulder. Opal moaned loudly when the straightened. "You're definitely a land person."

"It's not my fault I grew up in the mountains," Opal said, placing a shaking hand to her head. "Can't you make them fall off?"

"They will," Asami said with a smile. She turned the wheel in the other direction and leaned into the turn. She glanced behind her shoulder and let out a loud laugh as the raft skidded across the churning water before pitching into the air. She was able to hear Mako's and Bolin's loud screams over the roar of the boat. "And there they go," she commented as the raft landed back onto the surface of the water. Mako and Bolin bounced off, and the weight shift of the raft pitched it to the right, causing Korra to roll three or four times before coming to a stop.

"I wish I had filmed that," Opal said, raising the red flag. Asami slowed the boat down and began to turn it around, heading back in their direction. Opal unbuckled herself and carefully made her way to the side of the boat behind Asami, peering over the railing to check on her friends. "Move a bit to the right," she instructed.

Asami nodded once and moved the steering wheel in the proper direction. Mako and Bolin bobbed up and down in the water, laughing and giving each other a high five. They waited patiently as Asami pulled the boat around. Opal moved to the back and lowered the ladder, before pulling the long rope attached to the raft out of the way.

"Asami, you are a dangerous woman behind the wheel," Bolin said, reaching up to wipe water away from his eyes.

"I did say you wouldn't be able to handle it," Asami called out.

"We agreed with you," Mako protested. "It was Korra who kept wanting to go faster and faster." He began to try and swim over to the back of the boat, quickly realizing he was not moving too quickly. He unbuckled his life jacket and slipped his arms out before one armed swimming over to the boat, his other hand holding onto the life jacket. Upon reaching the ladder, he tossed the life jacket up onto the boat before climbing on board.

"Where is Korra?" Opal asked, pulling in the raft. She made quick work of tying the rope to the cleat on the boat.

"She should be right here," Mako said. He shook his head, whisking the excess wildly into the air. He held out a hand and assisted in pulling Bolin up onto the boat.

"Guys, she's practically a fish. I'm sure she's fine," Bolin said. Once he got up onto the boat, he unclipped his life jacket, tossing it onto the deck of the boat. He placed an arm around Opal's shoulders and walked her over to a seat along the side of the boat. She smiled weakly as the boat lurched up and own.

"I don't think so," Mako said. He pointed out across the water. Her blue life jacket was floating gently along the surface of the water.

"Korra?" Opal said.

"Korra!" Mako shouted, cupping his hands around his mouth. The only sound they heard was the ocean water slapping against the side of the boat. "What do we do?" he asked after a moment.

"Stay here," Asami instructed. She quickly slipped off her flop flops and sarong before climbing up along the side railing of the boat and diving into the water.

* * *

All Korra saw was a rotation of the sky and water before rolling to a stop. She made quick work of her life jacket before slipping underwater. All sound became muffled as she rapidly sunk. She blew all the air out of her nostrils, closed her eyes, and waited.

She clenched her teeth as a burn inside of her lung began. _Don't do it. Don't go to the surface. You're fine. Just let yourself sink. This will all be over soon. _Korra tried to relax as she sank deeper and deeper. The light above her started to darken. She closed her eyes and let her arms and legs hang limp.

A moment later she felt a pair of arms slipped underneath her armpits. She grunted in surprise, her eyes opening, as she felt a body press tightly against her back. Dark hair floating into her line of sight. _Asami!_ Korra felt herself rising towards the surface, but slowly. Asami's legs brushed up against hers as she tried her hardest to get them to the surface. _God, damn it!_

Korra reached up and pushed Asami's hands away before shooting up to the surface. She took in a large gasp of air as soon as her head broke the water.

"Korra!" Mako and Bolin shouted in disbelief. She gave them a small smile before turning her head away, blocking her face, as Asami emerged.

Asami looked over at Korra in disbelief before angrily splashing water in her face. This time, Korra did not block her face. "Do you have a death wish?" she asked.

"Yeah, how'd you know?" Korra asked, panting.

"That is not funny, Korra," Asami said. She swam back to the boat and climbed up the ladder back into the boat. She reached up and used both of her hands to brush her hair back. Korra muttered an apology as she climbed up onto the boat, water running over every crevice and ridge of her abdominal muscles. Mako leaned over the side and grabbed Korra's life jacket out of the water.

"The only reason my dad allowed us out here was to test out this new boat and it's safety features." Asami sighed as she sat down into the driver's seat. "I don't think the rear-view mirror will work on any kind of boat," she said to herself.

"I just wanted to go faster," Korra said, wringing out the water from her high ponytail.

"We didn't agree on it," Mako pointed out.

"I said everyone had to agree on the speed of the raft," Asami pointed out. Korra apologized again, dropping her arms. She lowered her gaze to her feet. "Let's just head back," Asami said. "Opal, will you be okay?" she asked.

"I don't know," Opal moaned.

"I'll help her," Bolin said, rubbing circles on her back. Asami leaned over and lifted the lid of a cooler that was strapped down in a small space in front of the passenger seat. She pulled out a soda and closed the lid with a loud snap. She then opened a glove box next to the steering wheel and pulled out a seasick patch and handed both items to Bolin. "Here, these should help her as we get back to the harbor." She then turned her attention to Mako who was collecting all the life jackets and placing them in a storage bin underneath a seat. "Mako, will you bring the raft in and deflate it?"

"Sure thing," he said.

Korra made her way to the front of the boat. She sat down in the passenger seat. "What should I do?" she quietly asked.

"You sit there and keep an eye out for any boats behind us when we start moving," Asami directed. She pulled a small clipboard and a pen out of the glove box. She made her way around the boat, performing a safety check and marking items on the sheet. Mako and Asami worked in silence as Bolin attempted to comfort Opal, who now had her head between her knees, a white square patch behind her right ear.

"The raft and rope are stowed away," Mako announced as Asami made her way towards the back of the boat.

"Great," she said, making a notation of on the clipboard, "all I need to do now is check the life jackets." She clipped her pen to the clipboard and placed it onto the deck of the boat as Mako moved to open the storage seat. "I'm surprised one of them broke, they're made from some of the best materials," she commented.

Mako pulled out the top life jacket, holding it out to Asami who was adjusting the ties of her bathing suit top from around the back of her neck. "It didn't," he said. Asami looked at him in confusion. "Korra's was the blue one, right? There is nothing wrong with it. Look for yourself."

Asami received the life jacket. There were no holes, tears, or splits visible on any portion of the floatation device. The inside padding was soft when she gave it a squeeze. Asami looked at the buckles on the front and found them to be in perfect condition: no cracks, or broken pieces in sight.

"So, how did it come off?" Asami asked. "Korra isn't exactly small, and she wore the right size."

"You're the scientist," Mako shrugged.

"Engineer," she corrected him.

"Exactly; there should be some explanation."

Asami frowned. She turned to look at Korra who was still seated in the passenger seat. Her shoulders were rounded, her head tilted downward, and her legs gently kicking back and forth. Her posture emulated that of a child told to sit in a corner. "Yeah, there should be…"


	3. III

**Adrenaline**

* * *

**Summary: **Throwing caution to the wind is an idiom for some, but for Korra, it's a way of life. At least until the end of the summer…

* * *

**III**

"That was so much fun!" Opal cried as she climbed the ladder to a dock sitting in Republic City Harbor. "Thanks again for letting us use your boat, Asami,". She tilted her head to the side and began wringing out the excess water from her hair. "Even if I did throw up a few times."

"A few times? We're lucky there weren't any shark tigers in the area," Bolin commented. Mako rolled his eyes before sighing hard. He reached out and slapped Bolin hard on his back. Bolin looked at him in confusion before noticing the look of anger on Opal's face. He started to utter out apologies, but she turned her back to him with a grunt.

"It's too bad summer is almost over," Mako commented, stepping out of the way as Bolin scrambled up the ladder. He lifted his hand and placed it against his forehead above his eyebrows, to shield his eyes from the sun as he looked out along the water. The bright blues of the sky were beginning to melt into golden hues and pink tints.

"Then we're trapped within the confines of school," Bolin said.

"School's important, Bolin," Asami pointed out as she tied the boat to the dock cleat with a series of intricate knots.

"Korra will agree with me, won't you Korra?" Bolin pressed.

After a moment of quiet, Asami leaned over and gently nudged Korra on the shoulder. She frowned when she noticed the dejected look on Korra's face as she turned. It quickly disappeared when she turned her focus to Bolin with a small smile. "School's overrated," she said, lifting a shoulder. "You learn so much more out in the world."

"How much of the world have you seen?" Mako commented with a smirk. "You came to Republic City a year ago."

"…Too much," Korra muttered, lowering her head. Bolin punched Mako in the arm, giving him a pointed look. Asami looked at the two of them in confusion before glancing over at Opal, who just shrugged.

"Why don't we all grab some dinner?" Bolin loudly suggested. "Korra, let's go and get some of those noodles you like!"

"No, thanks." Korra gathered her bag before getting up from her seat at the front of the boat. She passed by Asami who gave one final tug to the rope in her hands, sneaking a peek a at her through her dark hair. "I think I'm just going to head back to Air Temple Island. Naga's probably yearning to stretch her legs by now." She made quick work of the ladder before heading towards one of the large boat houses. "See you guys later."

"Okay, what was that about?" Opal asked. "Korra never turns down an opportunity for food."

Mako ran a hand through his hair, before reaching down and pulling his wet shirt away from his body. As soon as he let go, it snapped back against his body with a loud smack. "It doesn't surprise me," he admitted.

Asami climbed up the ladder to the dock. She tucked the boat keys into the waistband of her bikini bottoms, before covering it with a sarong. "What are you talking about?" she asked. She crossed her arms over her chest and raised an eyebrow, impatiently waiting as Bolin and Mako debated over who would be the one to answer her question. It wasn't until Mako sent Bolin a harsh glare, that he cleared his throat before smiling sheepishly.

"Last year, Korra got into a car accident," he admitted. He took a quick glance at Mako, before lowering his eyes, his smile fading. "A southern tribe kid died."

"She wasn't at fault," Mako quickly added upon seeing the shocked looks on Opal's and Asami's faces. "Something went wrong with the electrical system in her car and caused it to suddenly accelerate. There wasn't any time to react."

"It was a Cabbage Corps car," Bolin added, noticing the analytical look on Asami's face.

"That explains it." Asami nodded. "if it were a car from my father's company I would have known." She then reached up and cupped her chin with her hand. "I remember reading about the accident in the news, but I didn't know it was her."

"She's a minor so they kept a lot of the information under wraps," Mako said.

Asami watched as in the distance, Korra opened the door to a boat house, before stepping inside. Her shoulders were hunched, and her head hung down low. ""I'll go check on her," she offered, taking a step forward.

Mako quickly stuck a handout, stopping her. He abruptly pulled his hand away as it lightly brushed against the side of her right breast. "I think she should be by herself for right now," she said, his face flushing. "Sometimes when you confront her, she'll turn her anger from the problem to you."

Korra smiled brightly as Naga lifted her head from between her large paws. Naga's tail wagged quickly as she climbed to her feet, stretching her back. Korra buried her face into the Naga's neck, breathing deeply.

"They just don't get it, girl," Korra whispered. She listened as her group of friends laughed and chatted happily as they made their way past the boat house and towards the parking lot. "They don't understand that my heart hurts every day for that kid." Her voice slightly cracked. Naga pulled away before gently licking the tears off Korra's cheeks. "Let's go home."

Upon getting back to Air Temple Island, Korra forced a smile on her face as Ikki, Jinorah, and Meelo all asked to know how her day was. Pema quickly ushered them all into the dining room to have dinner. Throughout her stories during the day, the children constantly bemoaned about wanting to join the next time they go out. Tenzin would air his disapproval about any parts of the story that sounded dangerous or reckless. Pema would gently scold her husband while trying to feed baby Rohan but ended up with most of the food on his clothing or in his highchair. Korra had attempted to distract the young boy so that he could eat and found that the rest of his food ended up in her hair. But she didn't mind.

Spending time with Tenzin's and Pema's children always put her in a good mood, even if she felt like she was slowly decaying on the inside. It was never a dull moment with the four of them. Although, after spending several hours playing board games with the three older children and peek-a-boo with Rohan, she was relived when Pema announced it was their bed time.

To wind down, Korra decided to take a bath in the bathhouse in the backyard. It was quiet and secluded, the atmosphere Korra preferred after watching over the three rambunctious children she deeply cared for. They were one of the few bright spots of her day, and seeing as August 30th was fast approaching, bright spots were becoming far and between.

_Why did it have to be him? Why couldn't it have been me?_

Korra pulled herself out of the bathtub, wincing as her sore muscles cramped. Hunching over, she gently pulled one foot out of the tub, and then the other, making sure not to slip on the floor. Wrapping a towel around her waist, she moved silently and slowly toward the sink. As she reached up to wipe the condensation from the mirror, a stabbing pain erupted on her right arm. She turned her arm to the side and spotted a three-inch-long cut along her bicep.

Grabbing a first aid kit from a nearby shelf, she pried the lid open with her thumb. Scanning the contents inside of the small white box, she passed over a pair of scissors and found the bandages. Making quick work of the paper wrappings, she placed the adhesive bandage on the cut, before throwing the remaining bits into the trash.

Moving to close the first-aid kit, her eyes paused upon seeing the bright neon orange of the scissor handles. Korra pulled them out from the first aid kit. Placing the handle in her palm, she wrapped her fingers around the orange plastic. The cool metal of the blades rested against the back of her left hand. She tapped it rhythmically against her skin as she began to sway back and forth.

Lifting her head, she glanced at her reflection. Her eyes were red and swollen, salt trails lined her cheeks, dark bags lined her bottom eyelids, and her lips were pulled into a permanent frown. Her long brown hair tickled her shoulder blades.

She held the scissors up in the air, staring at the blades. Opening and closing then, she watched the metal scrape against each other. Korra placed the cutting utensil onto the sink countertop before moving to gather u her hair, brushing it away from her neck. She then picked up the scissors into her left hand, and after taking a deep breath, Korra closed her eyes and squeezed the handle shut. A light cutting sound filled the empty bathroom, followed by a quiet sob.

Brown hair fluttered into the sink.

_It'll be my time soon enough._


End file.
